NORTHAMPTON — The School Committee welcomed Lonnie Kaufman of Cardinal Way to its ranks on Thursday.
Kaufman, who has more than 25 years of experience working in schools, fills the Ward 6 seat left vacant by Tom Baird. Baird resigned last month after deciding to move to Connecticut to be closer to his workplace.
Kaufman won the seat with 10 votes at a joint City Council-School Committee meeting. A second candidate, Tom Davidson, received seven votes.
Kaufman holds the seat through the end of the year when Baird’s term was set to expire. Ward 6 voters will choose their representative on the committee in November.
Kaufman is the founder and principal researcher for Evaluation for Action, which provides consultation, grant writing services and school enrollment forecasting studies for districts. Until last year he worked as a senior research manager for the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute for about 14 years.
He got his career start in the San Diego United School District and also worked locally for the Collaborative for Educational Services.
Kaufman’s two children, now grown, received their education in Northampton schools. Throughout their 12 years there, he said he participated heavily in school happenings. He spent six years on the Ryan Road School Council, served as co-chair of the Northampton High School Council and worked on two principal hiring committees.
“Now that my children have left the school system, I’ve come to realize how much I have missed my involvement and participation with local education issues,” he wrote in his letter of interest. “As our Ward 6 representative, I look forward to sharing my understanding of educational best practice and important education related policy issues with my colleagues on the committee.”
Councilors and committee members asked the two candidates questions about issues before making their decision. City Councilor Alisa Klein asked about how to promote racial diversity and equality in the district.
In his time working for schools in Amherst, Kaufman said the district “devoted a lot of time and attention” to the issue “and I don’t know if they made any progress.”
“I don’t know what the answer is,” he responded. “But I know it’s a problem.”
Asked about the new special education overhaul at the elementary level, Kaufman said he supports inclusion but worries the changes are coming too quickly.
And in response to a question from City Councilor Ryan O’Donnell about the purpose of education, Kaufman called the U.S. school system the “great equalizer.”
“It’s one of the greatest things in this country,” he said. “We have people putting their lives at risk to come to this country and go to school.”
Kaufman then launched into his first School Committee meeting, which began right after City Clerk Wendy Mazza swore him in.
“I’m very appreciative of the opportunity,” he said. “I look forward to getting started.”
Amanda Drane can be contacted at adrane@gazettenet.com.